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Battle Born
Keeping the forest perimeter safe is dull work. Maybe one of Sam's stories can keep you entertained. Cast * Sam Yao * Seargent Ellis * Major de Santa * Chris McShell Plot Starting Flashback Mode Sam realises you weren’t around when Chris McShell joined Abel, so suggests that he fills you in on what he calls “part of your history”. The Last Time You hear the story through the ears of Sergeant Ellis, a previous Runner 5. Sam has picked up a mayday signal from New Canton. Vantage Point Zoms have trapped some civilians on the top of a bus. The Major orders you to shoot the horde, but Chris McShell approaches and warns against this. We've Got A Job To Do Chris, an “expert in zombie behaviour”, offers you an earpiece through which you hear Sam, and suggests you create a decoy so he can save the civilians. Round Everyone Up New Canton superiors request to see Chris. A soldier tries to file civilians into the jeep in which the message arrived, but they are denied, so you head for a barn. Back In A Sec The Major directs everyone into a barn. Someone coughs. The coughing soon turns to moaning. Someone in the barn has turned. Transcript SAM YAO: Hmm, yeah, I guess that’s right. Veronica just wanted you to run the perimeter fence, check for problems before she does her big test. Seems like it might be dangerous. I can’t believe we found Veronica McShell. She’s not exactly like her dad, is she? Although I guess, yeah – mm, I don’t know. They both have that single-mindedness. Do you remember how he was when he first arrived in Abel? All that “I can replan this water supply to make it more efficient”, and the rows he used to have with Janine, neither of them willing to back down an inch! Oh, wait, that wasn’t you, was it? Oh God. laughs Sometimes I think this apocalypse has destroyed my brain. Like, all Runner Fives are one Runner Five, and you should remember things that happened to the first one. sighs I wish you could have known them, really. You come from a noble heritage, Runner Five. Of course, the first one was the Major’s deputy, Sergeant Ellis. Amazing shot, Sergeant Ellis. Really good soldier. Shame about what happened. laughs Now I think of it, that was about the same time Chris McShell turned up at Abel. Hey, while you’re running, I can tell you the story, if you like. Feels like someone should. Part of your history, Five. AUTOMATED VOICE: Setup completed. Starting Flashback Mode. static footsteps opens MAJOR DE SANTA: Good God! JANINE DE LUCA: Yes, I know. MAJOR DE SANTA: Close the door behind you, Sergeant Ellis. This is to stay between the three of us for now. JANINE DE LUCA: That’s two more than my orders allow, you know. MAJOR DE SANTA: I know. closes MAJOR DE SANTA: Your orders never covered the apocalypse, though, I suppose. JANINE DE LUCA: Not this sort of apocalypse. I’m a last resort. I suppose that’s why your superior told you to come here. In the event of meltdown, we’ve got everything here – seed banks, DNA samples of most species on earth, laboratories, weapons. We can put it all back together. MAJOR DE SANTA: Or tear it apart. JANINE DE LUCA: You see why we can’t tell anyone. MAJOR DE SANTA: None of this will be of any use for rebuilding until the situation’s more stable. Until the war is won. JANINE DE LUCA: And the weapons? MAJOR DE SANTA: Last thing we want is for anyone to guess that this arsenal’s under here. Besides, we might be able to kill the zoms with this, but we’d wipe out most of the humans, too. JANINE DE LUCA: So we’re agreed. MAJOR DE SANTA: This isn’t here, unless and until we receive word from Mullins. You got that, Ellis? distortion SAM YAO: Hello? Hello? Testing, testing, one two three. MAJOR DE SANTA: What the hell? JANINE DE LUCA: Good Lord, I told him not to touch anything. Boy from the last sweep of the town. Picked him up wet and shivering. He’d been hiding in a bin for three nights. SAM YAO: Um, now, I don’t know if this is on, but uh, there’s something happening up here. A red light’s flashing, and when I click this button, and this happens - CIVILIAN: Anyone in the area of Imran Park - our transport out of the city, including several children, is pinned down by zombies! The axle’s broken! Anyone, please come! Please! MAJOR DE SANTA: Ellis, you’re with me. And take those pistols. We’ll pick up Adebayo and Rackley en route. JANINE DE LUCA: But - ! MAJOR DE SANTA: No one will know where the weapons are from, De Luca. This is the last time. Ellis, with me. moan MAJOR DE SANTA: There! They’ve taken shelter on top of the bus. ADEBAYO: Ah, won’t last there for long, ma'am. Those zombies will have the bus over. CIVILIAN: Help us! For God’s sake, help us! RACKLEY: Her screams are attracting more of those creatures, ma'am, look! MAJOR DE SANTA: Adebayo, Rackley, Ellis – we cannot afford to waste a single bullet. No one’s going to be making any more for a long time to come. We’ll take up two positions in the trees. ADEBAYO: Ma'am. RACKLEY: Another party is approaching from the west, ma'am. MAJOR DE SANTA: Possibly an additional rescue party. My plan holds. Shoot the creatures to kill. No point aiming for the body, we’ve established that a head shot is the only way. There are twelve of those things. No, fourteen. CHRIS MCSHELL: Stop! MAJOR DE SANTA: Huh, young man’s broken off from the party, approaching from the west. CHRIS MCSHELL: Please, stop, you have to stop! You can’t shoot them! MAJOR DE SANTA: Can’t leave those people to die here. CHRIS MCSHELL: No, please, I - I’m here from New Canton, straight from the Emergency Regional Government. MAJOR DE SANTA: Ah. Well, then. You outrank me. We can’t stay here, though. All of you, with me. That vantage point, now! CHRIS MCSHELL: They’ve sent me because I am a – laughs I’m supposed to be their “expert in zombie behavior”. MAJOR DE SANTA: Well? CHRIS MCSHELL: Well, there’s no such thing as an expert in zombie behavior. It’s another piece of ridiculous grandiloquence, I think, you know. They’re trying to make themselves feel better in their helplessness. They think I have some great theory. I’ve just noticed a thing or two. MAJOR DE SANTA: And? CHRIS MCSHELL: There’s another pack over the hill. Right, zombies are attracted to loud noises, in the absence of any other stimuli. If you begin to shoot, you’ll just attract more and more. MAJOR DE SANTA: Oh. I see. I take orders from the Emergency Regional Government because they’re the last body we’re in contact with who have even a semi-elected representative. Two local MPs isn’t much, but I believe in the chain of command. So, does the ERG have orders for me? Given that I can’t shoot the ravening dead, and the ERG isn’t here? CHRIS MCSHELL: Ah, well, we had a sort of idea about that. Look. MAJOR DE SANTA: I see. Miniaturized radio receiver, worn over the ear. Useful. CHRIS MCSHELL: Just an experiment for now. Your electronics expert, uh, Jamie? She seems to have managed to get a few surveillance cameras working. We thought this could help in field work. MAJOR DE SANTA: Yes, I see. One for you, Sergeant Ellis. SAM YAO: Hello? Honestly, I don’t know what I’m doing here. Some bit of the generator blew up, and Janine’s gone to fix it, and now I’ve got a little screen in front of me, and I can see some zombies. Like, uh, thirty or forty? Uh, they’re heading for those people on top of the bus. Listen, if you can hear me, um, would you uh, wave or something? MAJOR DE SANTA: Only one thing for it, Ellis. Mister - CHRIS MCSHELL: McShell. MAJOR DE SANTA: Mister McShell. If my soldiers persuade the zombies to chase us, can you help those people escape from the top of that bus? CHRIS MCSHELL: I – I think so? MAJOR DE SANTA: Well, it’s better to know so. Any suggestions about how to attract them? CHRIS MCSHELL: They seem to respond to loud noises and some scents and certain knee and elbow movements. I’m sorry, my research hasn’t been very thorough yet. MAJOR DE SANTA: … right. Come on, Ellis. Attract the attention of Rackley and Adebayo, we’ve got a job to do. Wave. Zombies, over here! Here! SAM YAO: Okay, yeah, uh, Sergeant Ellis? Uh, you look like you’re doing okay. Uh, you’ve managed to lead them around in a wide loop. A good few of them fell off that bridge – good thinking! Um, Rackley managed to lose a few in the woods, and now you’re comfortably outpacing the zombies. Should we come up with a quicker way to say that? Zeds? Zedheads? Actually, that’s not quicker. And if there are Americans, they might not understand zed. sighs Zed, zee – but we are British! JANINE DE LUCA: Mister Yao, what are you doing? SAM YAO: Oh, crap, crap, sorry, sorry! I didn’t mean to touch anything, I - MAJOR DE SANTA: We need a two-way capacity in these things, McShell. CHRIS MCSHELL: Oh, well um, we’ll work on it. You guys doing okay? CIVILIAN: We are now. CIVILIAN: Just exhausted. And the children are hungry and frightened. CIVILIAN: Where are you taking us? MAJOR DE SANTA: New Canton. Old castle over there, center of human operations in this area. CIVILIAN: Castle? Looks secure. CHRIS MCSHELL: That’s the idea. MAJOR DE SANTA: You don’t sound convinced, McShell. CHRIS MCSHELL: They’re – sometimes I wonder if they’re getting overstretched. There’s so many new faces every day. MAJOR DE SANTA: Wonder the same thing myself. CIVILIAN: What are you saying? Is it not safe? CHRIS MCSHELL: I’m sure it’ll be fine, though. Statistically, you’ve got a better chance there than sheltering in the city. MAJOR DE SANTA: Their resources are impressive, look. They’ve sent a Jeep for us. CHRIS MCSHELL: That’s unusual. NEW CANTON SOLDIER: McShell. Is there a McShell here? CHRIS MCSHELL: Um. That’s me. NEW CANTON SOLDIER: Hop up. ERG want to see you. RACKLEY: We’ll load up the others. MAJOR DE SANTA: Good work, Rackley. Children first. NEW CANTON SOLDIER: Sorry, ma'am. That’s not what the Emergency Regional Government have asked for. We’re only taking McShell in. The rest of you are to head on foot to Purple Quadrant, entrance to the kitchens. Someone will see to finding you beds there. MAJOR DE SANTA: What about quarantine protocols? New arrivals are to be taken as quickly as possible to a cordoned area. NEW CANTON SOLDIER: Quarantine protocols suspended under the current emergency, ma'am. You all look alright. Anyone here been bitten, even scratched by one of those zombies? denies Then you’ll be fine. Purple Quadrant’s only a mile or two that way. Get in, McShell. CHRIS MCSHELL: Run, Major De Santa, Sergeant Ellis, as fast as you can. I’ve done something, I – there might be more zombies coming. CIVILIAN: The children are too tired to carry on. We must find somewhere to rest. JANINE DE LUCA: - De Santa, if you can hear me, for God’s sake, turn to the east. A cohort of zombies is coming towards you, perhaps thirty or forty. ZICHENG CHU: Abel Township radio operator, cease and desist giving instructions on this frequency. JANINE DE LUCA: Who is this? ZICHENG CHU: This is Zicheng Chu, radio communications at New Canton. As per our agreement, I outrank you. Step down, Abel Township operator. JANINE DE LUCA: There are zombies coming for our party of survivors, Mister Chu. We have to find a safe path through! SAM YAO: Um, throat there’s a safe path through that park if they circle to the north. JANINE DE LUCA: Thank you, Mister Yao. I have this under control. ZICHENG CHU: We are aware of that pack. Our information suggests the pack’s turning south. The survivors should take shelter in the old barn directly ahead. JANINE DE LUCA: But we can bring them safely into Abel. We can perform quarantine procedures here. ZICHENG CHU: No. Orders are for them to wait out the zombie pack in the barn. MAJOR DE SANTA: You heard them, Sergeant Ellis. Rackley, Adebayo, round everyone up. No stragglers. We’re taking shelter in that barn. Quickly! opens MAJOR DE SANTA: In. All of you, in, now, quick as you can! chatters, asking for food and water Quiet, all of you! The zombies will pass right by us, but only if we’re quiet. Rackley, Adebayo, close the door. closes, baby cries JANINE DE LUCA: The zombies are cresting the ridge now. They didn’t see you go into the barn. They’re walking past the door. If you stay quiet, just like that… coughs MAJOR DE SANTA: Stop that! Whoever you are. I don’t care if you choke to death, no coughing! RACKLEY: Oh God! One of them’s turning! One of them! ADEBAYO: We didn’t check. No quarantine! We didn’t see if they were bitten. JANINE DE LUCA: Oh God - you’re all going to die! screams SAM YAO: static Yeah, Janine really was always exactly as comforting as she is right now. But uh, just a sec, Five. I hate to leave you at this thrilling moment in the story, but I really need a wee. You’re fine. The fence is secure, there’s nothing within a mile of you. Back in a sec. Category:Mission Category:Season Three